Remove The Social Leaches From Your Life
William Wilson, CEO
In every society, there are two types of people in which you can always count on coming in contact; those who support, and “social leaches”. By social leaches, I mean people you rarely see or talk to, that never support what you do, never reciprocate your kindness, and when you do hear from them, they always want a hookup. Until my brand began to take off, I never realized the depths to which these people existed or the level of audacity they have. The things they will ask for, without offering anything in return, is staggering. I have had over 20 people, that I haven’t talked to in over 6 months, contact me in the last 48 hours wanting to know if I would “hook them up” with clubhouse tickets to the race. Oddly enough, the last 2 times I heard from many of them, they were asking to get into my party/ tournament for free, or they wanted tickets to last October’s race. Beware of leaches in your life.
I recently held the third annual William Wilson Celebrity Invitational. It’s a private, ultra-exclusive celebrity golf tournament. Celebrities, CEOs, business executives and friends came out for a great party held at Jetpool’s private jet hanger, followed by golf at Carolina Lakes Golf Club. Now this is a very exclusive event, with very limited access from the public. In fact, t’s always been an invitation-only event. This year we opened ticket sales up to 50 people for $100. Given the status of attendees in the room, this was a steal. You’d be surprised the number of people that still called, texted, emailed, and used every other form of communication, asking if they could get in free. Again, these are people I rarely EVER hear from. They are not clients of William Wilson Clothing or Jetpool, and they are not offering anything in return. These people are social leaches. They will suck every opportunity out of you they can, and when they have gotten what they want out of you, they will disappear until they need something else from you.
In business, time is your most important asset. You cannot afford to waste time dealing with people that bring no benefit to you. Maya Angelou once said, “When a person tries to show you who they are, let them.” If someone is showing you that they only show up when they need a hookup; that’s who they are. Accept that. This goes for business and personal environments. Don’t waste time and energy trying to convert a social leach. Use that time to build relationships with positive people that will yield positive results. I was recently asked how Ryan Stone of Jetpool and I had such a strong relationship. I told them the answer was simple “We both look out for each other. It’s not just a partnership. We’re friends. I help them, they help me. No one feels like they are being used, manipulated or being taken advantage of.” They seemed surprised by the simplicity of my answer. But it is what it is. No one wants to feel used. And if you only contact people when you “need a favor” you are using them. If you have social leaches in your life, remove them. There is nothing good that will come from that relationship, unless you’re the social leach. Until Next time…..God bless and dress well,
William Wilson, CEO
William Wilson Clothing
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No Excuses: You Have To Put In The Work
William Wilson, CEO
I started William Wilson Clothing with 3 major obstacles. 1. We were in the middle of the economic down spiral. 2. I didn’t know anything about the clothing industry. 3. No one knew who I was. When I think about it, it was really pretty stupid to start a company under these conditions. But God uses the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. (1 Corinthians 1:27)
The economy was out of my control. But the other two obstacles weren’t. To overcome my second obstacle, I taught myself the clothing industry online. For obstacle number 3, I devised a branding strategy, and set out to execute it. My goal was to make sure the Charlotte Market knew who I was. It doesn’t matter how good your product is if no one knows you exist. I made a commitment that if I didn’t sell a single suit that year, people would know my name, and my brand.
I went to every event I could afford to attend; sometimes 3-4 events in a day. Once, I got home and bent over to remove my shoes. I woke up 2 hours later, still bent over, with a sore back, and my shoestrings still in my hands. It was hard, exhausting work, but it was necessary. After a few months, people started to recognize me, and I started getting some press. I slowly started getting put on guest lists. First it was general admission. Then the VIP lists started. Before I knew it, I was becoming a recognized and respected brand.
The plan was working. So I kept following it, only I was becoming smarter. I began to streamline my calendar. I made sure that I attended events for a purpose, not to just be seen. I elevated my brand exposure by maximizing my time, and going to where the people I needed to see were. I started getting feature articles written about me and TV exposure. I even got my first magazine cover in Sophisticated Charlotte Magazine. This didn’t make me a star, or make me “The man”. But it gave my brand credibility and integrity. This opened the doors that led to designing suits for the Grammys, the Oscars, and everything else I’ve done. There is nothing special about me. I didn’t do anything, that thousands of others haven’t done. I don’t have a “magic touch”, or super skill. I’ve been blessed far beyond what I deserve. But none of this would have happened without a lot of faith, and a lot of sweat equity.
Social media is great. I utilize it regularly. But you can’t build a brand off Facebook and Twitter. You can enhance your brand exposure, get instant feedback on potential campaigns, get market research data, and even build a fan base. But a fan and a customer ARE NOT the same. You HAVE to put in the work. There is no substitute for that. If you aren’t willing to sacrifice comfort, sleep, and fun, and risk total failure for success, you’re not an entrepreneur, you’re a wantrepreneur. If that’s who you are, that’s OK. Just accept it, move on. Get a job somewhere. Otherwise, stop making excuses and put in the work. It may not succeed, but it definitely increases your chances. Until next time…..
God bless and dress well,
William Wilson, CEO
William Wilson Clothing
You Gotta Pay To Play
William Wilson, CEO
There was a high profile CEO that I once wanted to meet. I called and sent emails literally for weeks. But I could not get . I had heard he was a really cool guy, and that he would be a great contact and potential client. This sounded great, but if I couldn’t reach him, this bit of information was useless. I found out there was a golf tournament at Ballantyne Country Club. Now I’m smart enough to know that a significant part of my client base plays golf. So I went there with the intention of playing, and maybe meeting some potential clients. Until I found out there was a $350 entry fee. WHOOOOAA! I didn’t have $350 to play in a golf tournament. I had bills! I needed to eat! I can’t waste this money playing golf. So I drove away. While on the road, a voice in my head said, “You can’t afford NOT to play in this tournament. You’re trying to reach high net worth people. This is what they do.” So I started calculating my money. My bills were caught up, so I had at least 60 days before anything started getting cut off. So, I bit the bullet and paid the fee. While sitting at my table waiting for the tournament to start, who sits down next to me? THAT SAME CEO I HAD BEEN TRYING TO MEET. We talked for 5 minutes and hit it off well. In less than 10 minutes, I had his cell phone number, personal email, and a lunch meeting set. He is now one of my best clients. This would never had happened if I hadn’t taken a chance and spent the money.
There’s an old adage, “It takes money to make money.” There is a lot of truth to that. The single most asked professional question I get is “How do I get in front of high net worth people?” The answer is pretty simple. Go where they are! If you want to see whales, you go to the ocean. If you want to see lions, you go to Africa, or the zoo. If you want to meet executives and high net worth people, you go there they are. It’s not rocket science. In my experience, I have made the majority of my contacts at golf tournaments, business breakfasts, non-profit events, cultural events and through their friends. These events do tend to be a bit pricey, but worth it. The average price I spend to get into events is around $75-%150. I don’t go to as many events as I used to. As you start to establish relationships, your network grows through the meeting of their friends at social functions; not necessarily events.
Helpful hint, you WILL NOT find them at an events that start on Friday night at 10pm, or whose marketing includes the terms “drink specials”, “grown and sexy” and “security strictly enforced”. Nor will you find them at “networking events” with $20 entry fees. Those aren’t networking events, those are parties.
If you want to expand your business, you have to expand your network. Sometimes, that requires expanding your wallet. You are investing in your business, and your future. If you aren’t willing to put your money where your mouth is, then don’t be upset that you always see the same people everywhere you go. Birds of a feather, right? When you’re serious about doing more business, you’ll make your move. If not. You won’t. But that’s your decision. Until next time….
God bless and dress well,
William Wilson, CEO
William Wilson Clothing
Man’s Rejection or God’s Protection
William Wilson, CEO
Rejection is as much a part of life as acceptance. At times, more so. Sometimes, it’s the caveat that predicates our path to success. Oftentimes when I speak to budding entrepreneurs, or students, they assume that things come easy for me because I have reached, what they feel, is a great level of success. Though I have been blessed to have achieved some success; I am nowhere near my goal. Contrary to some of their beliefs, I still face a significant amount of adversity and failure every day. No great achievement comes without risk and failure. The sooner we accept that, the sooner we can truly start our path to success.
As some of you know, I have been on a search for space for the Charlotte office of William Wilson Clothing. I wasn’t looking for anything overly extravagant. I was looking for 300-400 sq. ft., near Uptown or in the Meyers Park/ Dilworth area. I had a budget in mind that I felt was fair, and I began my search. Oddly enough, I quickly found what I thought was a blessing from God. There was a space in the Charlotte Plaza Building, between Showmars and Starbucks that was perfect. I called the leasing agent, Mike Lucier of CB Richard Ellis, and scheduled an appointment to view the space. Turns out. it was an old florist shop, so there was a lot of pegboards on the wall and a tile floor. All I really needed from them was to lay down carpet, and return the walls to sheetrock, which would be necessary for anyone. Other than that, it was PERFECT! Great location, plenty of traffic, built in marketing, and the price was lower than I was looking for. This would have probably been his easiest lease of the year. Send me a proposal, let my lawyer look at it, I sign it, we’re in by Dec 1, and everyone is happy. No brainer, right? Not so fast my friend.
For whatever reason, I could not get him to send me a proposal. For weeks I emailed, called and texted him to send me a proposal. I even went so far as to email the owners of the building to see if they just didn’t want to lease to me, or if there was some other issue. I received a response saying that they did want to lease to me, and that I would receive some correspondence from Mike. The correspondence I received was I’d have something in a couple of weeks. That was in November. Til this day, I have received no proposal, lease agreement, or any other correspondence to advance this process. I was upset. I was disappointed. This was an ideal location and I could practically print my own money from that place. But for whatever reason, they rejected me, and my business. Thus began a long, annoying, arduous task of looking for a space. Though I found other prospects, none were what I was looking for. None of them made me say “WOW!” I eventually found a space that “would do” and was about to sign papers on it, when I called the agent to ask a question, I didn’t get a response. I emailed the next day. Same thing. “Here we go again”, I thought. This is ridiculous. ANOTHER rejection. So as I’m driving down the road, I see this sign against a building. I call it, not thinking much about it at the time. In fact, I’d seen the signs many times driving on that street. It was for a 640 sq ft space, which was more than I needed, and what I assumed would be out of my acceptable budget.
The agent, Jay Snover, called me and I met him the next morning at the building. I looked at the space. WOW! It was perfect. It was bigger than I needed, but not as much as I thought. They were about to lay down new carpet, and had painted the walls. I won’t go into the details of the negotiations, but let’s just say, they gave me FAR AND BEYOND what I was looking for, at half the price of the first building. In fact, this space will directly represent the brand William Wilson Clothing has grown to represent. I couldn’t have asked for anything better. Now I understood why God kept allowing me to be rejected. He had something better in mind. And it was right in front of me all the time. By the way, I happened to be at the Charlotte Plaza Building the other day. The space is still available.
We are often discouraged by failures in our life. This is understandable. When you put your heart and soul into something, and it doesn’t work, it hurts. And sometimes it hurts really bad. I had lunch with a dear friend of mine, Nathan Krum, at the Speedway Club and he made the statement, “Sometimes man’s rejection, is God’s protection.” Though he was talking about another situation, it fit perfectly here as well. Quite often, our greatest joy will come after our greatest pain. Don’t fall for silly bravado like “Failure is not an option.” “All I do is win” and that foolishness. Failure and rejection is always an option. More often than not, it’s a possibility. But it’s what you do when you get rejected that defines who you are. Not the rejection. Believe in yourself. Stay strong. And stay prayed up. God will provide a way, out of no way. After all, “If God be for you, who can be against you.” (Rom 8:31) Until next time….
God bless and dress well,
William Wilson, CEO
William Wilson Clothing
Don’t Become A Victim Of Your Brand
William Wilson, CEO
I have been blessed to have had a significant amount of success since I started my company. But it has come at some costs. Some that I was aware of, and some that were not so obvious. You see, when I started the company, I didn’t know a lot about the industry, or my target demographic. The one thing I knew is that people reacted to brands that reflected success, power, or exclusivity. So I studied, watched and learned. I did the research, and formulated a plan, and implemented the plan to deliver just that. Nothing wrong with that, right? After all, that is what we’re taught to do. And it worked, I developed a brand that started to gain headway. I had some big wins, and they led to more wins. I had to be doing things right. Right? After all, people knew my name, invited me to stuff, wrote articles about me, wanted to be around me, and even wanted to take pictures and stuff with me. No one told me that I wasn’t, so I had to be doing the right thing. But I was wrong. Very wrong. I was slowly making a VERY BIG MISTAKE.
Without me realizing it, I was being overtaking my brand. What’s wrong with that, you ask? There is a lot wrong with that. First, your brand should be an extension of you, not the other way around. I became a slave to my brand. My whole world was my brand. The places I went, the people I talked to, the clothes I wore, the people I spoke to, EVERYTHING was about the brand, and the business. That’s not necessarily me.
You see at the core, I’m just a country boy from Arkansas. I like life simple. I’m not motivated by money, possessions, and the spotlight. Sure I like nice stuff, but I’m actually happier eating a hot dog from a street vendor than I am a steak from a fancy steakhouse. I don’t need fancy cars, or a lot of hoopla. I am actually pretty low maintenance. Given the choice, I’m much happier at home watching my DVR, and playing on my laptop than being out in the street. But as I allowed my brand to take over, I unknowingly lost track of myself. Almost all of my conversations, relationships, and dealings were about William Wilson Clothing. Somehow, “The Clothier” began to overtake “William”. People were no longer meeting William Wilson, the person. They were meeting William Wilson, the brand. The were meeting “the genius mastermind of what will one day be one of the elite clothing brands in the world”. I was always in brand promotion mode. It consumed everything I did, said, and thought, and I had no idea. People were no longer meeting me, me were meeting my corporate representative.
It wasn’t until a great and dear friend named Keysha Walker, sat me down and gave me a observation as she saw it. She saw me as two people. The business person that had to be “ON” in public. And the more laid back, easy going person that I was privately. As I sat and listened to her observation, I wasn’t always happy with what she had to say. But I respect her opinion as a business woman, and as a friend, so I listened. And as I did, I began to realize that what she saw was not who I wanted to be seen as. She saw me as a person that was only about business, and promotion of my brand. That wasn’t the type to let my guard down, and be fun, be funny, and vulnerable. I can understand why she would think those thoughts. I was so busy trying to build the William Wilson “Clothing” brand, that I was potentially killing the William Wilson “Personal” brand. She said numerous times “Just be you.”
So I’m writing this as an apology to anyone that I may have rubbed wrong in the past; and as a warning to those who follow me, look to me for guidance, or are currently working on building their corporate brands. If I came across to you as unapproachable, arrogant, too good, or anything of that nature; I want to extend to you, my sincerest heartfelt apology. It truly was not my intention.
Make sure to not get so caught up in building your brand that it begins to consume you. Be who you are naturally. Don’t allow the actions you take to wrongly define who you are. Understand that you cannot please everyone and that some people will always have negative things to say, because that’s who they are. But everyone that gives you criticism isn’t “hating” on you. Sometimes they do it because they care about you, and want what’s best for you. I’m blessed to have a friend like Keysha, to give it to me straight, and didn’t care if it hurt my feelings. I will be a better man for it. And my brand will be better for it too. Being a man isn’t about always being right. It’s about doing right. I want to be the best man I can be. I will make mistakes and fall short. Hopefully, I’ll always have friends like Keysha to stop me before I do too much harm. Until next time….
God bless and dress well,
William Wilson, CEO
William Wilson Clothing
William Wilson Partners with Allen Edmonds Shoes
Celebrity clothing designer, William Wilson, known for being one of the most exclusive custom clothiers in America, has entered into a partnership with men’s shoe manufacturer Allen Edmonds as a brand ambassador. The agreement will allow his custom clothing firm, William Wilson Clothing, to provide its clients with the full line of highly respected men’s shoes, including custom shoes, without having to go to the store. So clients can order their suits, shirts, skirts, trousers, overcoats and shoes without ever having to leave their home or office. This is the first apparel partnership for William Wilson Clothing.
“No suit is complete without a great pair of shoes. My customers had often asked if I was going to start making shoes, or if I had recommendations for shoes. I knew it was important to provide that service, but I also wasn’t going to rush into an agreement just to say I provide them. I wanted something that was commensurate with the William Wilson brand. Allen Edmonds has a legacy
of quality, a reputation for superb customer service, and a commitment to sticking to its core values. The fact that it is an American company was icing on the cake. After meeting with Paul Graangard, President and CEO of Allen Edmonds, and Heron Laing, GM of the Allen Edmonds store in the upscale Southpark area of Charlotte, NC, I knew this was the company to partner with. I look forward to a long, and productive, relationship between Allen Edmonds Shoe Company and William Wilson Clothing.”
In honor of the new partnership, for the month of January, clients who purchase 2 William Wilson suits will receive a pair of Allen Edmonds shoes.
To schedule an appointment, or to learn more about William Wilson Clothing
Log on to WilliamWilsonClothing.com
William Wilson to Design Jacket for Bronko Nagurski Winner
From the Grammys, to the Oscars, to NASCAR, if there is a high profile sports award to be given, celebrity clothing designer, William Wilson appears to be the man to call. The Bronko Nagurski Awards are no exception. William Wilson has been chosen to design the jacket for the winner of the 2011 Bronko Nagurski Award. This is one of the most prestigious awards in all of sports. It is presented to the top defensive player in college football. The award will be presented on December 12 at 7PM, at the Westin Hotel.
Previous award winners include some of the most recognizable names in the NFL. Some of the legendary winners are Warren Sapp, Champ Bailey, Charles Woodson, Terrell Suggs, James Laurenitus, Brian Orakpo, and last year’s winner Da’Quan Bowers. This years finalists are nothing to sneeze at either. They are Mark Barron from Alabama, Morris Claiborne from LSU, Luke Kuechly from Boston College, Whitney Mercilus from Illinois, and Devon Still from Penn State.
“The Bronko Nagurski Award is about consistency in excellence, at the highest level. The William Wilson brand operates on the same principle. To partner with such prestigious brands as the Bronko Nagurski Award and The Touchdown Club was an easy decision.” says CEO, William Wilson. “I only partner the William Wilson brand with brands that share a common creed. John Rocco has done an amazing job with the Bronko Nagurski brand, and I look forward to a long lasting relationship and productive relationship.”
No one knows who the winner is. That secret is kept well guarded. But whoever it is, they will definitely be well dressed. They will be presented with a midnight black, custom sports coat from the William Wilson Black Label Collection. The Black Label is an invitation-only collection, and it one of the most exclusive clothing brands in the world. Though the jacket will be priceless, a regular sports coat from the collection has a starting retail price of $3500.
Shut Up and Do It
I’m just gonna come out and say this. Do you know why many of you aren’t successful? You don’t deserve to be. Why? It’s simple. You talk too much, and don’t work hard enough. You TALK more about being successful than you are willing to SACRIFICE to be successful. Until you are ready to commit to being successful; just shut up. Stop holding our ears hostage. Stop telling everyone what you are going to do “one of these days”. We all have that friend, buddy, or colleague that since the day you met them, they have always told you what they need to do, but you never see them do it. They are always talking about success, but they never commit to having any.
Success doesn’t accidentally happen. You don’t just fall into it. You work for it. You fight for it. You risk for it. And you sacrifice for it. Sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose, but you fight. You get knocked down and you get back up. THAT is where success comes from! I laugh sometimes when I read my Twitter timeline and I read “Lets Go!”, “Let’s Get It”, “Make it Happen” and all the other stuff. I can read their timelines for a month and not see what they are doing to actually “Get It”. It’s bravado. Don’t get me wrong. I say it sometimes too. But then I make something happen. Not everything I make happen results in success, but they do result in a lesson learned. A lesson I wouldn’t have learned just typing “Let’s Get It” on Twitter and then going about my usual routine. Yelling words of encouragement, with no plan of executing it, is cheer leading. “Let’s Go?” Yea right!
On Christmas night at 12:30 I sent out a tweet asking 1 simple question: “Whose working?” The people that responded were the ones I thought would respond. They were on their computers planning for 2011, while most were out partying. They were exactly who I thought would be at home working. Because I see them all year doing the same thing. They don’t tweet about parties, they don’t tweet about their relationship problems, and they aren’t constantly re-tweeting what everyone else is saying or doing. They are moving forward. They are sacrificing. They have put their heads down and committed to being the best. They will be successful. Or at least they have the best chance. I’m not saying, you can’t party. I’m not saying don’t enjoy yourself. But I AM saying, if you don’t fully commit, you won’t fully grow.
While sitting at my computer at 12:24 Christmas night, I came up with an incredible idea, that I will be launching soon. I’m giving away $100,000 dollars to a fortunate person that follows me on Twitter and “Likes” my Facebook FanPage. This is going to be an incredible branding opportunity. I wouldn’t have come up with this in the club. I also formed a strategic partnership that I will be announcing next year. I wouldn’t have done that in the club either.
I’ve had over a hundred people ask me what am I doing for New Years Eve. I told them “I will be in church. I am giving God my real time, not my obligatory, or spare time.” Many of them applauded my actions. Some even said, they needed to do that. To which I responded, “Why don’t you just do it then?” They have a variety of different answers, but it all comes down to where your priorities are. I’m not saying they should be like me, or that I am right and they’re wrong. I started doing this a couple of years ago, and my life began to change. I started becoming more successful; and the craziest goals I could think of began to be exceeded. This has worked for me, and I will keep doing it.
Success is a fruit that takes time to ripen. We are about to embark on not only a new year, but a new decade. Now is your chance to commit to greatness. I’m no one special, if I can be successful, you can definitely be. But you have to commit. You have to be 100% in. Otherwise, you’re only fooling yourself, and wasting a ton of time and money. Buying a pack of business cards and building a website doesn’t make you a success. It doesn’t even make you a business. I can build a website, and buy business cards that say I’m a neurosurgeon; but you don’t want me cutting into your brain. Trust me! Hard work, dedication, commitment, and sacrifice are key ingredients to success. If you aren’t willing to give it 100%, then why bother? Why start a goal or a business if you aren’t willing to work, fight, and sacrifice to see your vision come to life? If you choose the club over planning. If you choose sleep over research. If you choose the party over the paperwork; that’s fine. Just don’t be upset when your competition leaves you in their dust. After all, at least you got your party on. Until next time…
God Bless and dress well,
William Wilson, CEO
William Wilson Cloting
Don’t Make The Mistakes I Made This Year
I want to personally thank you all for helping make 2010 an incredible year for William Wilson Clothing. Like any company, we have had our share of ups and downs, yet it simply made us a stronger brand. As you know, I’m a transparent guy. I like to help those I can. I have made some good and bad decisions this year, some could have been catastrophic, but God placed people around me to make sure it wasn’t. In hopes of helping you avoid some of the mistakes I have made, I will let you in on some of my LEAST desirable situations.
First, I waited too long to put together a team. I treat my company like it’s my child, and I didn’t trust anyone else to take care of certain things. I tried to do everything myself. As a result, some of my greatest accomplishments went unnoticed.
For example, I did Calvin Richardson’s suit for the Grammys this year. He was recognized as “Best Dressed on the Red Carpet”. This is a big deal. For a local clothier from Charlotte to even be doing a suit for the Grammys should have at least warranted some interviews, not to mention being named best dressed. But it went relatively unknown. I may never repeat that feat again, but again it’s a lesson learned. Fortunately there’s a bright side to this lesson, Calvin has been nominated again for the Grammys, and I will once again be doing his suit. This time it will be the William Wilson Black Label Grammy debut. And I’m determined that it receives its proper press.
Second, I contracted with a PR firm and didn’t have the outcome I anticipated. I will take the blame and say I did this without fully understanding how PR works. I assumed they kind of took the lead in this arena, since they were the experts. Apparently, I wasn’t as involved as I should have been. I now know EXACTLY what is a reasonable expectation, and I will make sure to leave no window of doubt concerning my expectations next time. In addition, I will ensure that I don’t allow myself to feel as if I’m not a big enough client to demand the attention I feel I should have received. Again, my fault.
Third, I hosted my first golf tournament, The William Wilson Celebrity Invitational presented by Jetpool. The tournament, and the pairings party, was a smashing success. Everyone had a great time. You would never guess the mess we had with the food. I will show the guilty parties more respect than they showed me, or my events, and not get too detailed. Let’s just say I thank God for providing me with a sponsor that was more involved with the event than the food sponsors. We were in a precarious position, because the ball was dropped and we didn’t know until 48 hours before the event. This actually left us in a tight spot up to 20 minutes before my event was set to start. Through Jetpool’s professionalism and preparedness, we were able to form a contingency plan to keep a potentially catastrophic and embarrassing event from happening. I have three words of advice on this one: “Trust but verify.” I didn’t think of this, it was actually a quote from Pres. Ronald Reagan.
Kevin Conway,with girlfriend Angel Taber, wearing William Wilson Black Label on the Red Carpet at the NASCAR Awards.
Fourth, I again was not prepared to maximize an opportunity in front of me. NASCAR driver, Kevin Conway, won the 2010 Sprint Cup Raybestos Rookie of the Year. Kevin debuted the William Wilson Black Label, the most exclusive line of men’s custom suits in the world, at the NASCAR Awards Banquet in Las Vegas on national television. Again, as incredible as this was, it went relatively unnoticed, except by you, my loyal fans. Even some people in the media that knew about it, let the moment pass; preferring to write yet another article about one of the 300 local fashion shows taking place in Charlotte.
As you can see, I made some huge errors in judgment. I made many, many more as well, but I don’t want to bore you with them. Fortunately, I have learned from my mistakes. The first thing I did was acquired a mentor, Leonard Wheeler. Next, I began to assemble my team. God has put some incredible people in front of me to help guide me. Now I have Alexander Sok as my Director of Creative Development and Operations, Lilly Pad & Pen as my Editorial Firm and Kaytlyn Lackey to head my Video department. On Christmas Eve, I added our first intern, Grace Mills to serve on board our Graphics department. I feel these individuals, as well as others I will add to the team, will help William Wilson Clothing fill some voids in our brand. I look forward to what the New Year will bring. We have some incredible projects in store for 2011. I hope God blesses your 2011 to be more amazing than you could ever dream of, and that this blog will help you avoid making the same mistakes I did. Until next time…
God bless and dress well,
William Wilson, CEO
William Wilson Clothing
You Can’t Be a Preacher in the Strip Club!
William Wilson, CEO William Wilson Clothing
When you have branded yourself a certain way, there are places you can’t go, and things you can’t do. Not that they are illegal, or immoral; but because they are contradictory to your brand. As a business owner, your brand is a factor of future success. Without proper branding, you can only expect to have limited success- if that.
Simply defined, branding is labeling. Breitling Watches is a watch manufacturer, Breitling is a high-end luxury timepiece. William Wilson Clothing is a clothing manufacturer. William Wilson is an exclusive custom clothing brand. Get it? Branding is the foundation of how you are known as a business, or a person.
What is your brand? By industry standards, William Wilson is defined as “an ultra- premium luxury brand”. That’s easy to write. But I also have to live my brand. As a CEO, especially with my name on the company, I am never off work. Everything I do, everywhere I go, everything I say, and even the media I allow myself to be in, reflect on my brand, both corporately and personally. Therefore, they are tied to my success. The mistake many small business owners make is believing that people do business with them because of their product. Rarely is your product, or business, as important to others as it is to you. People do business with people, not companies. Who you are as a person, has everything to do with how you are seen as a brand.
It is also important to connect yourself to people that reflect, or protect, your brand. I have suffered business disappointments, and put the integrity of my brand at risk, by attaching myself to firms that either didn’t understand the William Wilson brand, or just couldn’t provide the service they offered, to a brand like mine. I ended up with people that were more concerned with self promotion, being in the spotlight, and looking to promote big stars than they were in handling my business properly. I severed those ties, not because I didn’t like those people personally, I did and still do. But I have to think of the way my brand is represented. If your brand is at risk, your success is at risk.
Now I will concede, to many people I may appear obsessive about my brand. That is correct. A lot rides on my success; and not just for me. As my brand grows, so do the brands of the people on my team. As my brand grows, I can help others with their education and their careers. As my brand grows, I become more and more of a role model to children and adults alike. As my brand grows, I can help raise more money for non-profit organizations. So you see, the importance of my brand integrity is crucial not only to my success, but to people I don’t even know. Who knows, you can be someone reading this blog right now that I don’t know, but you may look up to me. I have a responsibility to you.
So here are some things I do that protect my brand:
1. I keep it clean. I don’t curse, belittle others, or otherwise poorly represent myself, or my brand, on my tweets, blogs, Facebook posts, and in public venues. (FYI- If you re-tweet other people’s garbage, you may as well have said it yourself. Spreading garbage is speaking garbage)
2. Take time for everyone. I’m always mindful to acknowledge everyone that approaches me, whether they email me, or want to take a picture with me. Even on social media, if you comment on my Facebook wall, I reply. I may only be able to say thank you, but if you take time out of your busy day to reach out to me, the least I can do, in return, is respond.
3. Choose events wisely. I don’t go to events that start after 10PM unless I know what they are about. (FYI- No “Networking event” starts at 10 with drink specials. Those are called parties.)
4. Don’t fall for gimmick marketing. I don’t go to ANYTHING if it has the description “Grown and Sexy” in it. (My experience is 9 times out of 10, they are neither.)
5. Know when to go home. I rarely spend more than an hour at an event. I get in, take pictures, do my business, and leave. Being in the event when the lights come on is like going to a strip club in the daytime. It’s not illegal, it’s just sad and pathetic)
6. And on that note. I don’t go to strip clubs, nor do I sell to strip club owners. ( I just don’t see the point in the first part. As for the second, I speak to and support organizations that empower and help rebuild women’s self esteem and value. It would be hypocritical to turn around and sell clothing to individuals that make their money doing the opposite. If that offends you- you are welcome to purchase your clothing from ANYONE else. In fact I encourage it. Not all money is good money.)
7. I don’t drink. I have never had alcohol in my life, so it’s not like I stopped for the sake of my branding, so I can’t accept credit for this. I don’t think drinking is bad. But a drunk in public is a sad and pitiful sight. (And ladies, it’s even worse when we see you sloppy or “tipsy”. It’s neither cute nor lady-like! I’m just saying.) Not to mention the pictures, or repercussions that result from them can be catastrophic.
8. I support the community. I leverage the value of the William Wilson brand to bring credibility, and funds, to events that may otherwise not have happened. Though my brand is still in it’s infancy, I do what I can, to help who I can, do what they dream.
9. I connect with like-minded people. There are 3 people that I have grown to love like brothers; Ryan Stone, Bill Wiley and Leonard Wheeler. Bill is a spiritual rock. He is transparent, vulnerable and genuine which is a sign of a man who has true inner strength. He’s genuine and always has a good word, and it comes from a place of love and care. My relationship with Ryan started off as business and turned into a true friendship. His honesty, business acumen, and commitment to transparency allows me to say something that I don’t often say, but I completely trust him. My partnership with Jetpool (Ryan is the CEO) has played a major role in the remarkable branding success of William Wilson Clothing. Being with people that think like you, or even more advanced is how you grow and learn. And how you open other doors to success.
10. I got a mentor. No one has all the answers; and we have to be accountable to someone. The rapid success of my company often places me in positions in which I am unfamiliar. I asked my friend Leonard Wheeler to be my mentor. I cannot put into words the respect I have for Leonard. He shoots it to me straight. Sometimes what he says hurt, cuts, or may even make me angry. But I know it’s the truth and it comes from a place of love. Many of the changes you see, and will see happen in the near future for William Wilson Clothing is a direct reflection of Leonard’s influence on my life, and my business.
Branding is a crucial part of your success, both personally and professionally. Who you display yourself to be, is what people see you as. Business lessons often mimic life lessons. Many of us never see success because we focus on the wrong things. Your brand is the foundation of your reputation and what people will think of you. Take time as ask yourself. How do others describe me? How do they describe my company? The way they answer these questions are how they see your brand. If you’re happy with what they say, then keep doing what you’re doing. If not…. Until next time.
God bless and dress well,
William Wilson
The William Wilson Celebrity Invitational presented by Jetpool
The William Wilson Celebrity Invitational will be held at Carolina Lakes Golf Club on Tuesday, Oct 12th. It is the most exclusive golf tournament in the Carolinas. Limited to 50 players (25 of which are invited celebrities). There are only 25 spots open for amateur play. The William Wilson Celebrity Invitational is not only the most only exclusive tournament in the Carolinas, but it promises to be the most fun and fast paced. Though there are only 25 amateur spots available for players, spectators are welcome to come watch, take pictures, and get autographs.
Celebrities already committed are current Carolina Panthers James Anderson, Rhys Lloyd, and Charlie Martin, Tony Womack (former New York Yankee), and NASCAR Driver Kevin Conway. Carolina Panther legend Mike Minter will be on hand to hit the ceremonial tee shot. For a full list of confirmed players click here.
Our hole-in-one prizes are second to none. Take a look at this lineup:
1. A full custom wardrobe by William Wilson Clothing (5 suits and 5 shirts) valued at $15000,
2. $50,000,
3. A a private jet trip to anywhere in the US (Courtesy of Jetpool) and a custom suit fitting by William Wilson at 40,000 ft) valued at $20,000, and last but certainly not least:
4. A Lamborghini Gallardo! That’s right, I told you this isn’t your daddy’s golf tournament. Value: $240,000. We are even auctioning off a chance for one fortunate person to take a shot at all 4 prizes. That’s $325,000 worth of prizes. That will change your life.
Here is the Rundown:
25- 2 man teams (1celebrity/ 1 amateur per team)
Format: Stroke play (handicapped)
3 Trophy Categories (low celebrity score- low amateur score- low team score)
Entry Fee - $250.
Spectator Tickets $10 limited number available
Golf Course: Carolina Lakes Golf Club
Beneficiary: Autism Speaks
Pairings Party: Monday Oct 11, 7-9pm at Jetpool Private Hanger. There will be 2 private jets and luxury cars for attendees to view.
Player Experience:
There will be a private pairings party where teams will be decided.
Each player will have their own marked parking space at the Carolina Lakes
Each player will have their own designated space on the driving range (with an assistant)
Each player will be announced on #1 tee box (just like the PGA tour)
Players keep the score of their playing partner
If any ball is hit more than a driver’s length into the woods. The player is to drop, take a stroke, and keep play moving.
If you would like to volunteer or be a sponsor of the most exclusive golf tournament in town, please email me at WilliamWilsonGolf@Gmail.com
There will be more information upcoming. Thank you in advance for your support. Until next time….
God Bless and dress well,
William Wilson, CEO
William Wilson Clothing
Win a Free Wardrobe Consultation
William Wilson, CEO William Wilson Clothing
Have you ever wanted to get your wardrobe professionally evaluated? Have you ever felt the need to have a true style specialist take a look at your closet and tell you where you stand in the world of style? Well here is your chance. One fortunate Charlotte-area subscriber will get that chance. I have joined with one of Charlotte’s premier personal style consultants, Catherine Horgan, to provide one fortunate subscriber with a free closet consultation worth $300. That’s right! Here’s you chance to win a professional wardrobe consultation by one of the best in the business.
Catherine Horgan CEO of Closet of Style
Catherine Horgan is the owner of Closet of Style, and editor of style blog [My] Style Files. Her love affair with everything stylish began twelve years ago. Styling friends and family — with essentials from fashion, beauty and skin care — was just the beginning of her unbeknownst career in the fashion industry. Her passion soon became her mission: to help clients identify and confidently express their own personal style. With a background in corporate branding, Catherine’s knowledge translates into real world experience. And it was evident two and a half years ago with the growth of her clientele, that the consummate stylist make the shift from part-time to full-time styling.
If you would like to win a chance to get your closet and wardrobe assessed by one of the best in the area, all you have to do is subscribe, and tell me why (in 50 words or less) you think you should win. There is no purchase necessary, but you do have to be a subscriber.
I wish you all the best. The contest is open to current subscribers as well. The contest runs until midnight July, 31st. But it won’t hurt to get in early. Until next time….
God Bless and Dress Well,
William Wilson, CEO
William Wilson, Private Clothier
You Can’t Always Charge Full Price For Everything
I’m a businessman. I love what I do, but I don’t do it for free. And I don’t expect others to either. However, I do expect to have an idea of what I am paying for. Especially if you deal with a visual medium, like websites or you are going to be managing something I can’t readily qualify, like PR. I was looking for a someone to design my website and I spoke to a number of great people.They had great words, but none of them gave me anything with which to connect. Just my own mental pictures, which history has shown is’t always the other’s picture.
There is a reason there are pictures in catalogs, because if you selling something meant to be seen, people need to see it. Especially if your describing a concept. Websites are concepts. In some manner suits can be as well, so I have to be able to draw out my idea for my sewers and my clients. Does this take time, of course it does, but it is necessary to get me to fall in love with your concept. Many business don’t want to take the expense of doing work they are not getting compensated for. They don’t see the big picture. In business this is called a loss-leader. You are basically doing work for free, or a reduced price, in order to gain business that will profit you down the road. It’s an investment in your success.
When I started William Wilson Clothing, I offered reduced pricing to specific people who could easily afford my suits. Why? Because having them as clients gave me credibility. Doing that for just one client gained me 3 more. I also donate suits to charities. This is not only a good thing to do morally, but it also gains exposure and brand recognition. All of these cost me in the beginning, but they paid off in the end. One of my best clients won one of my suits at an auction. He was so impressed with the quality and speed, that he continued to buy. To date, he has bought about 10 suits and 15 shirts in the last year.
If any of the web designers had taken the time to build even a quick mock up that I could have an emotional reaction to, I probably would have signed with them. But they didn’t. Sure they will have their reasons and excuses why, but at the end of the day, the end result is, they lost my sale and anyone I would’ve referred to them, because they weren’t willing to put in the sweat equity to earn my business. Same goes to the PR people I have talked to. None of them have given me a plan of action that they would take for my situation. They just tell me things that are possible. A lot of companies like to put the minimum into their client until they have a contract and are getting their money. Which is why, many of them are struggling.
Here is the takeaway for this. There is a reason dealerships let you test drive cars, why department stores have display televisions and appliances, why there are mannequins with clothing on them; to garner an emotional reaction. To allow you to visualize your self using the product. Can this be costly? yes. Is it effective? Absolutely. When people feel a connection or emotional response to an item or idea, they will more than likely purchase it. Put in some sweat equity and give me something to fall in love with. Give me something other than words and proposals. Give me something to like, not just something to sign, and maybe we can do some business.
God bless and dress well,
William the Clothier
Do You Know Who I Am?
I hate when someone calls me out of the blue to meet with me because they want to see “how our businesses can work together”. Especially when they is no feasible way for us to work together. It basically comes down to they just want access to my client list. For those of you who feel this is a bright idea, let me tell you now. IT IS NOT! I deal with high profile clients that do not appreciate being solicited, especially to someone else. If you ask me to do that and I don’t even know you, that further lets me know that you are not accustomed to dealing with highly successful, or high profile people.
But that isn’t what this is about. Today I’m talking about the geniuses that ask to meet with me, but have no idea who I am, what I do, or what I’m about. If you are going to request a meeting with someone, have the decency to do the research and get to know something about them. Nothing makes me feel like I am wasting my time more than sitting in a meeting, I didn’t request, and having to introduce myself. If you asked to meet with me, find out about me on your own. This isn’t a date, this is business. Look at my website, read my blog, look at my Facebook and Twitter updates. Find out as much as you can. This saves us both time, and potentially you a lost sale.
Business is about relationships. I won’t do business myself with people I don’t know; let alone introduce you to someone else in my circle. Now I’m not saying if you do your research you will automatically get my business. But I am saying that if you don’t; I guarantee you will not get my business. I don’t care if you are selling oxygen and I’m suffocating. I do not do business with people that are so disrespectful, incompetent, and unprofessional as to waste my valuable time requesting a meeting, but not doing their due diligence and preparing for it. Successful people don’t meet for the sake of meeting. We don’t fill our calendars with meetings, just to feel busy or important. We meet with a purpose, or we don’t meet at all. My time is valuable. If you don’t have enough professionalism to research the person, and company you are requesting a meeting with, you have no business meeting with them.
God Bless and dress well,
William the Clothier
Infrastructure- It’s Not Just a Political Talking Point
William Wilson, CEO-William Wilson Clothing
The two most important factors in the initial success of your business is planning and infrastructure, period. I will discuss planning in a future post, but today we are talking about infrastructure. Infrastructure is defined as “The basic, underlying framework or features of a system or organization.” Infrastructure allows you to be flexible, confident, and provide a consistent level of product quality and service. Without the proper infrastructure, even the greatest salesman will go broke. I am often asked to help someone take their business to “the next level”. However, they usually aren’t solidly based on their current level, because they have a fluctuating infrastructure. Everyday they are changing something. They cannot maximize their position, expand with quality continuity, or adjust to the market place. This will surely guarantee failure at some point.
My business was able to become solid relatively quickly because I spent 9 months doing research. First I decided how I wanted my company to look from an execution position. Meaning, how do I describe the logistical services of my company and its products? I wanted to be able to tell my clients 4 things:
1. I have the highest quality suits in the industry.
2. I can deliver 100% custom suits in as little as 7 days.
3. I offer the only concierge-level service in the market.
4. I offer exclusivity that no-one else can provide.
I decided upon these 4 objectives, because these are the things that are important to my clients base. Once I set
Denzel Washington told an actor on The Great Debaters- "Do what you have to do now, to do what you want to do later."
these as my baseline, I set upon developing an infrastructure that would facilitate it. I focused strictly on these objectives. Not price. Not how much will I make. Not where to open a store. I focused strictly on these objectives and moved on from there. I identified my fabric source, and my sewing team. I made sure they could deliver on my demands. I checked my wardrobe to make sure I looked the part. Otherwise, I undercut the integrity of my brand. And I established a list of places and things you will NEVER see me associated with. I did this because you are identified by where you go, and who you regularly deal with. This was not easy, I logged thousands of boring, tedious, brain numbing hours at my computer; forsaking many of the pleasures of life to build this. My personal, social, and romantic life had to take a backseat to build this infrastructure. The bible says “To whom much is given, much is required.” I sacrificed a lot, but it is paying off now. Denzel Washington told on of the stars of The Great Debaters, “Do what you have to do now, to do what you want to do later.”
Thank you for your time,
God Bless and Dress Well!
Custom is the Only Way to Go
There is a common misnomer that if it has an expensive label, it has to be good. This isn’t always true. Actually, it rarely is; especially when it comes to clothing. Many of us get so caught up in the prestige of the tags that we have no idea about the true quality of an item. This is a brand manager’s dream come true. I’ll explain.
Me working with my client Julius Hill
When I hear a man comes up to me like a baller and tells me, “This suit I’m wearing is Armani, what do you think about it?” My answer is, “Are you sure you want to know?” If he says yes, I tell him, “I think you got robbed.” And it’s true, he was taken to the cleaners. Heis wearing a suit that is worth about 15% of what he paid for it. That suit was manufactured in a suit mill along with about 30 other designers. The deciding factor between whether that suit goes to K&G for $199, Brooks Brothers for $899, or Neiman Marcus for $1995 is the tag that is applied inside. If you want really quality and prestige, buy custom. Custom is the ONLY way you can get quality, selection, and luxury. Any man that spends $900 or more for a suit, and it isn’t custom is throwing money away. PERIOD. I don’t care what the salesman (on commission) at Norstrom’s told you. He is supposed to make you feel good about spending too much money for a high production, mid quality,overpriced suit. The tag in your suit should say Your Name, not a designer. I once wrote on my Facebook status that if you answer the question “Where did you get your suit?” with a store name, you were not a “Big Dog”. Real players have tailors, not store receipts. They have someone come out to their residence with a store full of fabric swatches and design his suits for him, then deliver them to his place of residence. If you still want to overspend on overpriced suits so you can brag to your friends that don’t know better, go right ahead. But if you want to graduate to the Big Boy’s Club, it starts with custom. After all why is some designer’s name more valuable to you than yours. This is just food for thought. Shop where you wish, but if you want to move up to the big leagues, go custom.
William Wilson is the CEO of William Wilson Clothing, America's Most Exclusive Private Clothier. His clients are the who's who of corporate America, professional athletics, entertainment and politics.
